Remembering holidays through kids' eyes

Whether your children have been naughty or nice, it's still fun to jot down and remember the offbeat things they say and do over the holidays. Here are some memorable lines that have been shared with me recently:

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Posted Dec. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Posted Dec. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM

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Whether your children have been naughty or nice, it's still fun to jot down and remember the offbeat things they say and do over the holidays. Here are some memorable lines that have been shared with me recently:

At a dinner-table chat, one family's middle child is asked: "If you could have one gift from Santa, what would it be?" His answer: "I would like three mommies and three daddies so I can have my own!"

Acting out a Nativity scene in a sofa-sized cardboard box, kids announce their parts. Things start normally enough: "I'm Mary with baby Jesus." "I'm Joseph." Then new twists emerge: "I'm a bat." "Don't hurt the donkey or he will bite you." "Oh no! A tornado is coming!" "Baby Jesus needs milk. Do we have any baby bottles for him?"

Of all the new toys and Hanukkah presents in one home, the item that two brothers cannot stop fighting over is their little sister's Barbie Dreamhouse. Captain America is sleeping in Barbie's bed, and little sister is not pleased.

A Tyrannosaurus rex shows up at one family's Nativity scene and looks right at home among the donkeys, sheep and camels. The 3-year-old dinosaur fan in the family also has a question: "Where are the wise girls?"

Children are open about sharing Christmas stories from their families: "We went to see the manger," says one little boy, "but my sister did not want to see baby Jesus. She was mad. She wanted to go home and play with the dog."

Kids also love to give a day-by-day rundown of a recently emerging holiday tradition: the "Elf on the Shelf." It's a bendable prankster of a sprite that comes with a book created by Carol V. Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell. Some stunts that delighted children: Their elf hid in their Christmas tree, hopped into a bowl of marshmallows, spelled out their names in sprinkles and unfurled toilet paper in mom and dad's bathroom.

The question "what are you thankful for?" sparks answers that run from the sweet — "I'm thankful for my bed and for my lambie" — to the wild — "I'm thankful for my race car to crash into things."

My favorite memory from my own son's preschool Christmas pageant nearly two decades ago is of him telling me, "Mary is going to be Mary. Isn't that great? She doesn't have to change her name."

One 6-year-old boy was recently discussing Santa with his mom, and he's waffling in his beliefs: "It's difficult with the 'presents for the whole world' thing going on. But I have to believe in him, because why else would there be elves?" The boy and his mom write a letter to Santa, and he asks her to include the words, "I still believe in you."

Alcohol poisoning is a common risk for children during the holiday season, as many parents host parties where alcohol is served. Take care to keep all bottles and cups out of kids' reach during parties, and dispose of empty ones as soon as possible afterward.

Betsy Flagler, a journalist based in Davidson, N.C., is a mother and preschool teacher. Email p2ptips@att.net or call 704-236-9510.